X-ray tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9269526-B2
Application number	US-201313737855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2013
Priority date	Jan 10, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

An X-ray tube includes a vacuum-filled housing and an anode contained in the vacuum-filled housing. The anode is operable to produce an X-ray beam based on electrons emitted from a cathode and attracted by a high voltage applied to the anode. The X-ray tube also includes a high-voltage power line introduced from an external side of the housing for supplying the anode with a high-voltage potential. The X-ray tube includes an electrical feed for electrically insulating the high-voltage power line from the housing. The electrical feed in the X-ray tube includes at least two insulating layers radially between the high-voltage power line and the housing. The at least two insulating layers are separated from one another by a metallic coating.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An X-ray tube comprising:
a housing that is vacuum-filled;
an anode contained in the housing, the anode operable to produce an X-ray beam based on electrons emitted from a cathode and attracted to high-voltage applied to the anode;
a high-voltage power line introduced from an external side of the housing, the high-voltage power line operable for supplying the anode with a high-voltage potential; and
an electrical feed operable for electrically insulating the high-voltage power line from the housing, the electrical feed comprising at least two insulating layers radially between the high-voltage power line and the housing, the at least two insulating layers being separated from one another by a metallic coating, a first insulating layer of the at least two insulating layers radially surrounding a second insulating layer of the at least two insulating layers.

2. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two insulating layers have an axial length from a perspective of the high-voltage power line, the axial length decreasing radially from the high-voltage power line to the housing.

3. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the metallic coating is embedded between the at least two insulating layers.

4. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 2 , wherein one material of each insulating layer of the at least two insulating layers is inorganic.

5. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the inorganic material comprises a glass, a ceramic insulating material, or the glass and the ceramic insulating material.

6. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metallic coating is embedded between the at least two insulating layers.

7. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one material of each insulating layer of the at least two insulating layers is inorganic.

8. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the inorganic material comprises a glass, a ceramic insulating material, or the glass and the ceramic insulating material.

9. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one material of the at least two insulating layers and one material of the metallic coating have a same expansion coefficient.

10. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a sealing ring between the housing and the electrical feed, the sealing ring operable to seal a gap between the housing and the electrical feed vacuum-sealed.

11. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the sealing ring is an alloy comprising nickel and iron.

12. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the high-voltage power line is guided in a metallic cylinder in an insulated manner.

13. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 12 , wherein one material of the metallic cylinder comprises a metal-coated glass.

14. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 12 , wherein one insulating layer of the at least two insulating layers is glazed onto the metallic cylinder.

15. The X-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer radially surrounds a portion of a length of the second insulating layer.

Assignees

• Eichhorn Richard
• Hoffmann Christian
• Matschulla Jan
• Pham Gia Khanh
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Eichhorn Richard
• Hoffmann Christian
• Matschulla Jan
• Pham Gia Khanh

Classifications

• H01J35/26

  by rotation of the anode or anticathode · CPC title

• Y10T156/1043

  Subsequent to assembly · CPC title

• H01J35/16 Primary

  Vessels; Containers; Shields associated therewith · CPC title

• H01J35/165

  joining connectors to the tube · CPC title